(MY) coral reefs

[Guest guest]

Our coral reefs under threat-New Straits Times*19 Jun 2006*

Nisha Sabanayagam <nisha

 

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*KUALA LUMPUR: Two tennis courts: That was the size of the area of coral

reef on Pulau Sipadan scraped bare by a barge last May.

*

*Two centimetres: That is the average coral growth in a year.

*

The country mourned the loss of part of our undersea treasure last month for

many reasons, but do Malaysians truly realise the value of what lies beneath

our oceans? Or how fragile coral reefs are?

 

Take the " Coral Triangle " for example, a stretch of water shared by

Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon

Islands.

 

In less than one per cent of the surface area of the world's oceans, an

astounding level of biodiversity exists, with some species found nowhere

else in the world.

 

Home to three-quarters of the world's coral species and over 3,000 types of

fish, the Coral Triangle is also home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphin and the

endangered dugong.

 

It is also where the largest population of green turtles is found.

 

The fact that it was cited by Newsweek as one of the seven most endangered

areas in the world should make us all sit up and pay attention.

 

WWF-Malaysia Marine co- ordinator Ken Kassem cited overfishing, destructive

fishing, uncontrolled coastal development, pollution and climate change as

causes of degradation that could lead to the demise of the ecosystem in the

area.

 

Malaysia's stake in the area is particularly high since at least 75 per cent

of its reefs occur here.

 

But the Coral Triangle is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

The most recent reef survey carried by environmental think-tank World

Resources Institute (WRI) painted a grim picture of the coral reefs of

Malaysia.

 

It stated that over 85 per cent of our reefs are threatened by human

activities, including sedimentation from upland resources.

 

Associate Professor in Marine Biology Liew Hock Chark for Kustem (Kolej

Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia) concurred.

 

" The coral reefs in Malaysia suffer tremendously from sedimentation brought

down by rivers through land-based activities, " he said.

 

He cited Port Dickson as a site where the reefs had been destroyed by

sedimentation, mainly due to overdevelopment.

 

He said 30 years ago he could see the coral when he dived. Now, there is

nothing.

 

People were putting more pressure on reefs, he said, especially through

pollution and coastal development for resorts.

 

Corals were able to handle stress but not chronic stress, he said.

 

Given the chance, corals can live forever since their polyps are able to

clone.

 

" There are reefs in our waters estimated to be 300 to 400 years old, " he

said.

 

Yet once destroyed, it takes years for coral to regrow.